Jack Gets A Cold
by DamoclesMasked
Summary: "I have a 51st century immune system. You think I can't fight off a cold?" Jack asked derisively. "I'm insulted." Jack's sick and potentially contagious. Owen exiles him to a hotel, but Ianto has a better idea.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is a completed fic, I'm just doing a few final edits before publishing each chapter, but they will get up in a timely manner.  
I like to set a lot of my Janto fics in Season 2, assuming that there were cases and interactions between the characters that we didn't see, so this one takes place sometime then.  
Let me know if I should keep the chapters coming!

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its characters belong to the BBC and RTD

Spoilers: None

* * *

And just then, in the middle of the conversation, Jack sneezed.  
The team's hands froze on what they were doing and they spun to face their leader, looking comically bewildered by his doorway. He blinked in shock.  
'Did you just _sneeze_?' Owen asked incredulously. Gwen's brow furrowed in confusion.  
'Of course he did.' She said, frowning at the rest of the team's expressions. None of them were looking at her as she spoke, their wide eyes locked on Jack. 'What?' She asked.

Ianto was the first to move. He placed the tray of coffees down on Tosh's desk and went to Jack's side.  
'Are you alright?' He asked quietly, resting a cautious hand on Jack's arm. Jack looked back at him, frowning.  
'It was just a sneeze.' Gwen reminded, incredulous at the team's behavior. 'He's fine, what's the big-'  
'Into the med bay.' Owen ordered.

Without another word, the team moved into the roles that had somehow been silently agreed upon. Tosh began hurriedly typing into her computer, whilst Ianto and Owen followed Jack into the medical bay. Gwen stood in confusion as Jack was seated on the examination table, Ianto hovering on the raised level, pacing restlessly. She moved closer and caught the look of careful excitement in Owen's eyes as he arranged his equipment. She attributed this to finally having a live patient again, although she still didn't know why all this was needed.

'I'm sorry.' She said in a tone that commanded attention. The team looked up from what they were doing. 'But what the hell is going on? He _sneezed_.' She stressed the word, as though they would all suddenly come to their senses and get back to work.

Behind her, she heard Tosh resume her typing. Owen stared at Gwen blankly for a moment, then rolled his eyes and continued fiddling with his tools. Ianto sighed and braced his arms on the rails, watching over Jack as he unbuttoned his shirt for Owen to begin his examination.

'Gwen.' Jack started, stopping only to wince as the medic stuck a needle in his arm. 'I can't die, my body recovers from a stab wound within fifteen minutes-'  
'Thirteen and a half.' Ianto interjected.  
'And I have a 51st century immune system. You think I can't fight off a _cold_?' Jack asked derisively. 'I'm insulted.'  
Owen shushed him then, pressing a stethoscope to his chest.  
'So…why did you sneeze.' Gwen finished, relaxing as she finally understood.  
'Exactly.' Owen said. 'You've never so much as sniffled before. Not since I've been here, anyway.'  
'Trust me, this is-' Jack tried, but Owen shushed him again, moving the stethoscope to the other side of his chest. He listened, then stood up and removed the earbuds from his ears. He picked up a thermometer and turned back to Jack, who raised an eyebrow and smirked. Owen rolled his eyes. 'Open.' He said, sticking it into Jack's mouth. He looked back up to the rest of the team. 'It isn't just cold in here, is it?' He asked.  
'No.' Ianto responded shortly. 'Heating's fine.'

He sounded unnecessarily testy, Gwen thought, but when she saw the barely veiled worry pinching at the corners of his eyes, she let it pass. Jack turned to wink up at him, which elicited a small smile from the Welshman, though it disappeared once Jack turned away again.

'No increase in hospital admissions or irregular diagnoses.' Tosh called from her station, ruling out some kind of epidemic that would affect even Jack's health. 'No increase in school or work absences. Decrease, actually, but not significant.' Owen sighed and checked the thermometer. One of his eyebrows ticked up in surprise, but he composed himself quickly.  
'Yes, god forbid the answer be obvious.' He replied drily. He pressed the back of his hand to Jack's forehead, then the back of his neck. 'Christ.' He said. 'Alright, everyone keep away from Jack.' Ianto stood up quickly.  
'Contagious, then?' Gwen asked. Owen shrugged.  
'Possibly. It just seems like a bad cold, but if it can affect Jack….better to be safe. You should go home.'  
Jack scoffed. 'I _am_ home.' He reminded. Owen pursed his lips.  
'Huh. Well, you can't stay here or we might all get sick, and we don't have superhuman immune systems. _We_ can't go home, because we need to work out why the hell you caught it, not to mention save the city from potential Rift related destruction.' His forehead wrinkled as he thought. 'Hotel it is.'  
'Thought you'd never ask.' Jack teased, grinning wickedly. Owen rolled his eyes again and shook his head, then stepped back and removed his gloves.  
'I'm sure Torchwood will cover it.' He responded, ignoring the innuendo as he always tried to.  
'But it's not that bad yet.' Jack tried. 'Can't we-'  
'No.' Owen said instantly. 'If you can contract it, we might not be able to fight it off.' Jack groaned and slid off the examination table.  
'I'll check on you tomorrow night, I should have the blood test results by then. If you need anything else, call us and we'll figure something out.' He began packing his things away, and Ianto watched as Jack's shoulders sagged.

Ianto cleared his throat.  
'Or…you could stay at mine.' He suggested, stuffing his hands into his pockets awkwardly. He was looking straight at Jack, but looked very much like he wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere.  
Owen interjected before Jack could answer.  
'That would defeat the purpose of us not getting sick, Ianto.' He said slowly, as though Ianto was mentally deficient in some way. Ianto shrugged.  
'Fantastic immune system.' He explained. 'Built up by many Cardiff winters without heating.' Owen didn't look convinced.  
'Besides,' Ianto continued. 'Colds have an incubation period of about two days, right? So I've probably already got whatever it is. By now.'  
Jack chuckled. 'Oh, yeah. Entirely possible.' Owen grimaced raised his hands in defeat.  
'Alright.' He said tiredly. 'Fine. I'll have to monitor you too, then.' He sighed and hopped up the stairs to join Tosh by the computer.

Ianto slowly made his way down the opposite staircase, not quite able to make eye contact with Jack as he approached.  
'What do you think?' He asked quietly. Jack smiled and took Ianto's hand, pulling him closer.  
'Yeah.' Jack said. 'Thanks.' He leaned forward to kiss the Welshman, but at the last moment, Ianto remembered and turned his head so that Jack's lips hit his cheek.  
Jack pulled back and frowned. 'Hm.' He said thoughtfully. 'This is going to be tricky.'

'And none of….you know.' Owen called from out of sight. 'We don't know Ianto's sick yet, so let's not _make_ sure, alright?'

Jack laughed. 'Of course not, doctor!' He replied, but winked.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Wow, I guess I totally lied about that whole 'I'll get the chapters up quickly' thing. Soooorry about that. This one is longer though, and I desperately hope it's worth the wait.

As ever, comments are greatly appreciated. Positive and constructive.

Disclaimer: Torchwood and its characters are the property of the BBC and RTD.

* * *

Ianto fumbled with the key as he attempted to fit it into the lock. He chewed his lips nervously, hyperaware of Jack's presence behind him. He hadn't been here since Ianto's suspension, and it had been in a very different state then.

There had been several opportunities to ask Jack over, but Ianto had always found some reason to put it off. Even if their dinners- a new phenomenon since Jack had returned- ended nearer to here than the Hub, Ianto would always remember that he hadn't made the bed, or hadn't had time to do the dishes, or he'd left his clothes strewn all over the bedroom floor. And so they'd head back to the Hub instead.

He hadn't put much thought into inviting Jack back today- something he was regretting now as he wondered how messy he'd left his flat that morning.

Blushing, he finally managed to get the door open and stood back for Jack to enter first. He did so, dropping his hastily packed bag by the door and put his hands on his hips as he looked around. The room was dark, small and quiet, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was obviously Ianto's- the room was simple and efficient, with very few personal touches, indicating just how much time Ianto spent at the Hub.

In just this one room, Ianto had created a living room, dining room and kitchen, but had left it bare enough that Jack didn't feel cramped. In front of the door was the living area, made up of only a couch, a coffee table and a small TV. Behind the couch was a dining table, too big for the three chairs crowded at one end. Behind that was a strip of kitchen island, with a single bar stool pushed underneath. Jack wouldn't have been able to spread his legs to their full width in the space between the island and the kitchen counters opposite, but it was enough space for one to move around.  
If they moved sideways.  
'Do you…uh, do you want a drink?' Ianto asked from the door. Jack shook his head.

On Jack's right against the wall was a bookshelf, which he noticed was one of the only places in the room with anything of personal significance. Books, DVDs and CDs were carefully organized into it, and propped against them were a few photographs. Only two or three were framed, and it was to these Jack looked first. He picked one of Ianto and black haired woman up and smiled at their matching grins. There was a carefree light in Ianto's eyes that Jack hadn't seen before- he realized with a touch of sadness that the photo must have predated Ianto joining Torchwood, though not by much. He swallowed and replaced it on the shelf, picking up one next to it- a yellowing photo of two chubby babies in a garden. 'You?' He asked, pointing to the one that looked most like a boy. Ianto, who at some unnoticed moment had come to stand next to Jack, nodded. 'My sister.' He explained of the girl.

He cleared his throat and took Jack's coat by its collar, helping Jack to slip out of it without looking away from the pictures. The Captain moved onto an unframed one now- Tosh, Gwen, Ianto and Owen were all in it, each one pulling some kind of silly face. Gwen's expression had won by a long shot, but Owen was a very close second. Jack laughed.  
'When was this?' He asked, holding it up between his fingers. Ianto turned away from the coat, which was now hanging carefully on a hook by the door. 'I wasn't taking it, but I'm not in it.' Ianto narrowed his eyes to see it better, then comprehension washed over him.  
'Oh. No, Tosh's computer took it. You were…well.' He broke off, looking down and passing Jack as he made for the kitchen.  
'What?' Jack prompted. Ianto shrugged, still not looking at him.  
'Well, you'd disappeared, hadn't you?'  
Jack's lips parted as he understood. He nodded and returned the picture to its place.

He heard glass clinking and looked over to Ianto, who was quickly moving drinking glasses from the drying rack to their cabinet. 'Don't worry about that.' He said, coming to sit on the bar stool. Ianto turned away from the sink to face him. 'You know how I keep my office. Relax.'

Ianto pursed his lips. _Relax_. It was easy enough to say, but it wasn't helping him feel any less awkward. The immense responsibility of inviting Jack over was starting to catch up to him. He was a host now, a position he hadn't been in for a long time, let alone to someone like Jack.  
On their dates, if that's what they were, Jack was full of conversation, and Ianto was more than happy to listen and laugh at his stories that just bordered on believability. But this was his place, his turf, and it was his turn to be entertaining.  
Without their usual activity to fall back on, this was going to be difficult. He swallowed nervously and left the dishes where they were.

'You guys really bonded while I was away, huh?' Jack asked, his thoughts still on the photo. Ianto shrugged in a way that he hoped was nonchalant. What had Jack expected? That they'd fall apart without him?  
Well, they nearly had. But Jack didn't need to know that.  
'We had to.' He responded honestly, and Jack didn't reply.  
With nothing to add, they fell into silence. Jack didn't seem bothered by it, but after a few moments Ianto began to worry. He looked around the room, hoping to find some topic for conversation.  
TV. They could watch TV.  
As soon as he thought this, Ianto rolled his eyes. TV? Was he really that boring? He fought aliens for a living, for God's sake.  
'Are you hungry?' He found himself asking.  
'Sure.' Jack replied. 'Take out?'  
Ianto nodded. 'Chinese? We had pizza last night.' Jack agreed and Ianto went to place their usual order. As he did, Jack moved to the couch, hoping to find something to amuse himself with on the coffee table. He was disappointed, as it was empty even of coffee cups. This made him frown.

All the times he'd told Gwen not to let her personal life drift, had it occurred to him to address the rest of the team? Maybe he'd assumed, since they were all single, that it was too late.  
But maybe, for Ianto, it wasn't.

'Half and hour.' Ianto informed, coming to join Jack on the couch. Jack smiled appreciatively. 'Thanks.' He said, glancing back to the bookshelf.  
'Tell me something about your family.' He requested. Ianto's eyes widened in surprise.  
'What?'  
'Your family. Tell me something. Anything.'

Ianto looked mildly distressed for a moment by the sudden interest. He licked his lips and tried to recover, any interesting trivia about his family gone from his mind.  
'Um…there are four of us?' He tried lamely.  
Though not what he'd anticipated, Jack nodded. 'Ok. Go on.'  
'Why?' Ianto asked, a little more defensively than he'd meant to. Jack wondered if he noticed the way he'd pulled away slightly.  
'What, something to hide?' Jack asked, hoping to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere. 'Do they run the Cardiff mafia or something?'  
Unable to resist, Ianto smiled, though he threw an eye roll in for good measure.  
'Oh my god.' Jack said with mock surprise. 'You're the Cardiff mafia. And suddenly the suits take on a whole new meaning.'  
'You like the suits.' Ianto reminded.  
'Even more now I know they come with an element of danger.' Ianto laughed and Jack grinned at the sound. 'Come on.' He prompted again. 'How about your sister? Start with her.'  
Ianto bit his lip for a moment. It went against everything he'd trained himself to believe to just talk about his family like this. The more people who knew about your loved ones, the more people knew about your weaknesses. And in Torchwood, where there were plenty of merciless enemies with the means to access and destroy anything important to you, it was better to just keep quiet.

But this was Jack. That meant something else, didn't it? Some new rulebook, a different etiquette? Ianto suppressed a tired sigh. He'd grow old and die before he worked out the 'right' way to interact with Jack. _Jack_ would grow old and die before that happened.  
'Her name's Rhiannon.' He began tentatively, and once it was out he didn't altogether hate the sensation. He tried again. 'She got married right out of high school. Nearly.' Jack's expression seemed interested, though why his family was so captivating Ianto couldn't understand. Still, he continued. 'She had David soon after, then Mica soon after that.'  
With some difficulty in his seated position, Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and removed his driver's license from the clear plastic window, revealing two photos of a boy and girl. He handed them over.  
'Cute.' Jack commented. He noticed a slight resemblance to Ianto in the girl, her thoughtful expression similar to one he'd seen on Ianto many times.  
'Mm.' Ianto mused. 'She's a pretty good mum, really. Suppose she had a bit of practice.'  
'What do you mean?' Jack asked, looking back up and catching a hint of regret in Ianto's expression.  
He'd said something he hadn't meant to.

Jack cleared his throat and moved on. 'Are you close?'  
Ianto looked momentarily relieved at the change in topic before taking time to consider his answer.  
'We used to be.' He decided slowly. 'When we were growing up. But once I moved to London, joined Torchwood and all that…it became more difficult.'  
'Difficult how?'

Ianto wondered if he should find these questions annoying, or even rude, but all he felt was relief. Not only was the conversation maintained without too much stress on his part, but it was surprisingly nice having someone interested enough to ask.  
Ok, not someone.  
It was nice having Jack interested enough to ask.

'Well,' Ianto said, returning to the question. 'You know what it's like. All her problems, everything she was up to…it suddenly all became very small. I didn't want it to, but it did. And after the Battle, what with Lisa and everything…' He looked down to his hands. 'I don't know. I just couldn't…stand to listen to her anymore.' He frowned. 'I hate how that sounds.' He added in a quiet voice.

It had started when he stopped calling her. When she tried to contact him, he stopped returning ones he'd missed, and eventually stopped picking up when he saw her number on the screen. But he'd had Lisa then.  
Things had changed now, but the damage was done. Now the calls only came on special occasions. These he picked up.

'You miss her.' Jack said, and it didn't sound like a question.  
'Of course.' Ianto agreed. 'And the kids.' Jack smiled at this.  
'What are they like?' He asked. Ianto looked back to him with a more sincere smile.  
'Like you said, cute. I made the mistake of buying David some new video game for his birthday last year. His mother is mourning the loss of her son to it, but I'm basically uncle of the year.' Jack snorted.  
'If the position is that easily bought, I could be uncle of the year.'  
'There's a prerequisite of at least ten changed nappies per niece or nephew.' Ianto clarified.  
Jack laughed. 'Nappies? You?'  
'And you thought I didn't work for it.'

Grinning, Jack looked back down to the photos. 'What about the girl? Mila?'  
'Mica.' Ianto corrected. Jack handed the photos back and Ianto carefully returned them to their place in his wallet. He ran his thumb over Mica's.  
'She's pretty quiet, unless she's fighting with David. Then I have war flashbacks to when Rhiannon and I shared a room. Terrifying stuff.' Jack laughed, finding the concept of a tidy child Ianto sharing a small space with another child endlessly funny. 'I'm glad my childhood trauma amuses somebody.' Ianto said sarcastically, but he was smiling.

As Jack calmed down, Ianto bit his lip and watched him, thinking.  
'What?' Jack asked, noticing his look. Ianto hesitated before speaking.  
'Can…can I ask you something now?'  
'Of course.' Jack answered immediately. He couldn't guarantee an answer, but he didn't mind the asking.  
'Where did you go? When you found your doctor?'

Jack's smile faded. He should have been expecting this to come up eventually. John had served as a magnificent distraction upon his return, but surely at one point or another the team had wondered between themselves. You could only put off an explanation of your total disappearance for so long.  
'That's a long story.' He hedged, not sure what lie he should provide, or if he should lie at all. Ianto simply shrugged.  
'We have all night. And since we're not allowed to engage in our usual activity-' Jack chuckled.  
'A real tragedy.' He lamented. The light moment faded quickly and he was left with memories he'd been trying to ignore.

Slaughtered, again and again, each time fading out with nothing but the sound of that sadist's laughter to accompany him into the darkness. Coming back, again and again, each time feeling as though he was being dragged naked across broken glass, only to open his eyes and find himself strung up like a hunk of meat, ready for it to start all over again.

He shut his eyes and rubbed his face, exhaling slowly. Ianto frowned as he watched this.  
For the first time, it dawned on him that maybe Jack's trip hadn't been entirely pleasant. He didn't know why the possibility hadn't occurred to them before.

'I thought he would fix me.' Jack admitted quietly, his fingers still covering his lips. He was staring forward at nothing in particular. It was unsettling. 'I'd been looking for so long. That bag I took? It's been ready for _fifty-four years_. I just strapped the hand on and went.'  
Ianto's jaw clenched.

He'd seen the CCTV footage. He knew that in order for Jack to have made it to the Plass before they made it back to the Hub, he wouldn't have had time to take anyone else into consideration. Ianto knew that.  
Still, it hurt to hear.

'All this time, I thought that finding him was all I needed to be…normal again.' He smiled pathetically. 'That must sound insane. Who wouldn't want to live forever, right?' He laughed, but it was a hollow, fragile sound.  
Ianto didn't speak.  
'But I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I mean it. No one.' His voice was low, nearly inaudible. Ianto ached to help somehow, but was at a loss as to what Jack needed. Just as he was about to reach out for him, Jack was caught off guard by a coughing fit, one that surprised Ianto with its ferocity. Worried, he jumped up and got Jack a glass of water, and the older man happily accepted it. As it subsided, Jack's grin was back, though somewhat dimmed. 'Maybe he did fix me.' He joked weakly. 'I haven't coughed like that in years.'  
'Are you sure there's nothing he can do?' Ianto asked, concern evident in his expression. 'Maybe he'll find you one day with better news.' Jack laughed softly. 'No, nothing. Maybe I knew that. If I hadn't, I might've taken him up on his offer to come along. Try and bully him into it over time.' He smiled, but Ianto didn't notice. He was still stuck on Jack's last words.

He could have left with his Doctor. He could have _left_. For good.  
He didn't.  
Surprising both men, Ianto found himself surging forward, taking Jack's face in his hands. 'Ianto…' Jack cautioned. He brought his hands up to Ianto's bent elbows, restraining him gently, just short of a kiss. Ianto froze, positioned on his knees, his mouth just a breathe away from Jack's parted lips. Here they were stuck, neither one willing to continue or retreat. They shut their eyes, inhaling the heady scent of their companion, swallowing every now and again in an attempt to maintain control. Ianto clenched his jaw against the pheromones that seemed even more potent now that he wasn't allowed to act on them.  
The moment was endless. Ianto knew it would have to be him that pulled away, since he'd been the one to initiate this near-attack, but he was seriously under motivated. He'd never been this close to Jack without anything happening. The result was a whole new experience of Jack that he wasn't ready to give up, not yet.  
Jack was going through a similar episode.

At length, Ianto finally groaned and sat back, taking a deep breath in, his eyes still closed. Jack frowned at the loss of contact.

When he opened his eyes, Ianto was staring at him, a wrinkle of concentration in between his eyebrows. Jack raised an eyebrow and it disappeared. 'What-' He began, but the buzzer announced the arrival of the food. Ianto leapt up, leaving the conversation, the moment and Jack behind on the couch.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Yeah, ok, it's super late. Sorry, I recently moved and it got a bit lost among everything else. I'm going to stop promising that these will get up on any kind of schedule.

Thanks for all the comments, likes and follows! Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: BBC owns Torchwood and all its characters

Spoilers: None

* * *

'Owen?' Ianto called again into the phone. He didn't know if they had a bad connection or if Owen was being deliberately annoying, but Ianto wasn't in the mood.

The night before had been the first night he and Jack had spent together without actually having sex.  
He'd gone without sex for months at a time before, even for a year at one point, but with Jack it was more frequent than with any other partner. The sudden deprivation was a little shocking.  
He gritted his teeth to the sound of static in his ear.

'Owen!' He demanded, and Jack stirred in his sleep. Ianto watched him carefully as he rolled over, but the outburst didn't seem to have woken him. Ianto left the room quietly, taking his frustration out into the living room.

'Alright, settle down, Tea Boy.' Came Owen's voice, a sound Ianto never thought he'd be relieved to hear. 'Guess I don't have to ask if you've been following my instructions.'  
'Shut up and pass the phone to Tosh.' Ianto nearly snapped, certain now that he wasn't going to get anything out of Owen without several snide comments first.  
'Geez.' Owen protested, but there was a rustling on the other end of the call as he passed the phone over.  
'Ianto?' Tosh asked, and Ianto felt himself relax to her much more pleasant tone.  
'Tosh.' He greeted. 'What's going on?'  
'Well, Owen checked us this morning and we're fine.'  
Ianto felt a flood of affection as she got straight to the point. He'd have to give her his very best coffee when they got back. Unlike Owen, who might 'accidentally' be put on decaf.  
'How are you?' She continued. 'Do you want to come in for treatment?'  
Ianto snorted, giving Tosh her answer.  
'I know.' Tosh said, understanding his disdain. It was only a cold, after all. 'But if this is an illness that can get Jack, those of us with inferior immune systems need to be even more careful. How is he?'  
There was a hint of worry in her voice, and Ianto assumed she was masking the rest of it for his benefit. He appreciated the effort.

'A little worse.' Ianto replied. 'He's still sneezing, and he's getting progressively more congested. He even had to blow his nose last night.'  
This had been intensely annoying for Jack, who hadn't missed the sensation with the advent of his immortality. It had also cast some worry over the sleeping arrangements.  
'Are we ok to share a bed?' Jack had wondered, and Ianto nodded straight away.  
The no sex rule was bad enough. If sharing a bed would worsen the situation, Ianto would take the trade off. Blowing his nose wasn't as taxing for him as it was for Jack.

He felt as though he should be more worried. Of course he was concerned for Jack, but it still only looked like a cold. It was hard to see that as much of a threat.

Tosh laughed and brought Ianto back to their conversation. 'He hasn't had a cold in…what, decades? Centuries? He's in for a shock.'  
'Great.' Ianto said drily. 'Something to look forward to.' Tosh laughed again.  
'You're sure you're ok?' She asked more seriously.  
'Fine, Tosh.' He promised. Apart from the odd sniffle, Ianto was barely uncomfortable. He'd had much worse than this.  
'Ok.' She accepted, and her voice became informative once again. 'We're trying to work out why only Jack got sick. I mean, he passed it on to you, but initially it was only him. You don't think…' She trailed off, sounding cautious. Ianto frowned.  
'What, Tosh?'  
'Well…you don't think it's his whole immortality, do you? That maybe it just…wore off?'  
'No.' Ianto dismissed quickly. 'He checked last night. I told him not to, so naturally he waited until I went to the toilet.'  
'He killed himself?' Tosh asked, horrified. Ianto's skin prickled uncomfortably at the thought.  
'No.' He clarified. 'He cut his palm. Healed in under a minute.'  
Tosh exhaled in relief. 'Ok, that's the end of that theory.'  
Ianto chewed his lip thoughtfully. He knew that Jack wanted to be mortal again, but, selfishly, he couldn't share this desire.

Ianto was realistic. He knew that he only had a few years left, if he was lucky. No one in Torchwood lived to be very old, or old at all, and he didn't expect to be an exception. And he didn't mind, not really. It was worth it.  
He didn't want much out of his last years. To have some fun, save the world, and be with Jack.  
All very simple requests. At Torchwood, all three could happen in one day.

So if Jack being immortal meant that Ianto didn't have to worry so much about being without him, he wouldn't wish for it to suddenly go away.  
He did want Jack to be able to die one day. He just hoped it happened after he was gone.

There was another voice in the background talking to Tosh, most likely Gwen.  
'Oh, right.' Tosh said as she remembered, then returned her attention to Ianto. 'We had another idea, too. Well, Gwen did. Here-'  
There was rustling again as Gwen took the phone.

'Hi, Ianto.' She greeted quickly. 'Look, we were talking, and how likely is it that there just happened to be an illness- and only a cold- that was able to affect Jack? Which is why I thought that, maybe…maybe this was planned.'  
'Planned?' Ianto repeated.  
'Mm. What if someone- alien or human, I don't know- what if they know about Jack's immortality? And what if they've worked out someway to…I don't know, weaken it? Get around it? Or his immune system, at least.'  
Ianto's grip on the phone tightened.  
'You think it was an attack?'

Gwen made a noise of disagreement.  
'Not quite. Maybe it was more of a practice run for an attack. Think about it- colds are fairly innocuous. We might never have even noticed. There's also no known cure.'  
'But it doesn't…it doesn't kill you, either.'  
'No, but if this is the case, they're probably not aiming to kill him with a cold. They might be working towards something bigger, but starting with a cold to test whatever technology they're using. When it's ready, they'll hit him with something worse.'

Ianto's mouth ran dry. His earlier concern was alleviated, at least- he was definitely worrying enough now.  
'So what do we do?'  
'Owen and Tosh are working in the Archives to see if there have been any cases of attacks like this in the past- not on immortals, obviously, but it might give us an enemy to work with.'  
'I don't remember any attacks by illness, but I haven't read all the files. Tell them not to bother with the first two filing cabinets by the door, I'm pretty familiar with those.'  
Gwen relayed that information to the others.  
'It would be helpful to know which species, or which people, have enough knowledge of Jack to engineer something so specific to his biology.' She said to Ianto. 'Could you get him to isolate the species he's had extensive interaction with?'

'That'll be a long list.' Ianto said. It seemed as though Jack dropped a new species name with every ridiculous anecdote he told, and nearly all of them began or ended with some kind of sexual encounter. Did that count as extensive interaction?

'We know, but it might help us find the type of technology behind it. Tosh can study any items we have from the same species and work backwards from there. She also wants to work on some kind of genetic security screening for the Hub, so we'll know if they try to get in. The security should be revisited anyway- they got to him without any of us noticing, you know.'  
Ianto knew. The idea made him clench his teeth.  
'Ok.' Ianto agreed, and thanked her. 'Call if you have any more news.'  
'We will.' She promised.

The line went dead and he hung up, placing the phone on the kitchen counter and exhaling slowly.  
It was only a theory, but it was still cause for concern. If Gwen was right, then someone or something had gotten to Jack without Ianto noticing. And this same someone or something had the potential to make Jack sick, really sick.  
If they could change his immune system, what else could they change?

Each time Jack died, Ianto felt as though he was sent into a tentative limbo with him. Intellectually, he knew Jack should come back. He had for centuries before Ianto was born and he would continue to after Ianto was gone.  
But there was always a little voice, a tiny suggestion in the back of his mind that maybe, this time, Jack wouldn't come back.  
That his luck had run out, and this time he was gone for good.  
This thought always kept Ianto from trusting fully in Jack's ability, the way the rest of the team seemed to.

But the idea that Jack's immortality was something that could be tampered with- that despite appearances, Jack wasn't invincible, untouchable- the concept was sickening.

'Morning.' Ianto heard, and steady, reassuring arms slid around his waist. Jack kissed the back of his neck, and Ianto could feel Jack's lips curling into a smile as the younger man relaxed into the embrace.  
'Sleep well?' He asked, and Jack nodded.  
'Very. A solid five hours. That's one hell of a bed you've got there, Ianto Jones.'  
'Compared to your little camp bed that's hardly a compliment.'  
Jack squeezed him closer. 'Then don't stay over.' He said into Ianto's ear, but he didn't let go. He turned his head to cough, shaking them both.  
'Who was on the phone?' He asked when he recovered.  
'Hub.' Ianto answered, feeling as though he should turn to face Jack, but finding no motivation within himself to change their current position. 'They think this cold may have been planned somehow. That someone's found out how to affect your…condition.'  
Jack lifted his head as he considered this.

'I don't think that's possible.' He said after a pause. Ianto wasn't sure if he hoped Jack was right.  
'What else could it be?'  
Jack was quiet, but he leaned forward to kiss the back of Ianto's neck again.  
'That would be…' He mused softly, lips brushing Ianto's skin. 'That would be…'

Ianto waited, but Jack didn't finish. Summoning his willpower, Ianto turned and leaned on the edge of the counter, instating more space between himself and Jack. Jack kept his arms around his waist.  
'What?' Ianto asked. 'Bad? Or…' He looked down to Jack's plain white shirt and began playing with it. 'Or…'  
Jack stepped back to sneeze, removing his arms from Ianto to cover his mouth. When he finished he sniffed and moved to the sink to wash his hands.  
'I don't know.' He said honestly, his back to Ianto. When he turned, his face was serious. 'I want to be able to die.' He said. 'But I don't want to die. Not now.'  
'Now?' Ianto asked, and Jack sighed, running a hand through his already mussed hair.  
'A few times…a long time ago…I wanted to…tried to die.'  
Ianto's eyebrows pulled together in concern, but Jack didn't see, distracted by another bought of sneezes.  
Ianto watched him worriedly. They were getting more frequent.  
'Not anymore?' Ianto asked when he was finished, and Jack shook his head.  
'No. No, of course not.'  
'Why?'

Jack looked at Ianto, his brow furrowed. He didn't answer, instead searching Ianto's expression. Ianto stared back, unmoving. He didn't repeat his question, knowing it was written on his face.

At length, Jack pressed his lips together. 'I'm happy.' He said without smiling. He shrugged quickly and looked away. 'For the most part.'  
Ianto nodded slowly, then allowed a small smile.  
'Good.' He said. Jack looked back and mirrored his smile, which turned into a grin as he pushed off the counter and approached Ianto again.  
'Yeah.' He said, rounding the counter and reaching for Ianto's hand. When he had it he pulled Ianto closer. 'It is good. Very, very good.' He placed a gentle hand on Ianto's jaw and directed his lips to his own. Momentarily, Ianto resisted.  
'_One_ kiss isn't going to kill either one of us.' Jack growled, then closed the space between them.  
Ianto rolled his eyes, but couldn't help pulling himself closer, taking Jack's face in his hands, then sliding them to the back of his neck. Jack chuckled as they kissed, returning his arms to Ianto's waist and securing him firmly to his body.

After too short a time, Jack pulled back with a triumphant grin.  
'Breakfast?' He queried, and Ianto shook his head at Jack's cocky expression.  
'Sure.' He agreed, untangling himself from Jack's arms and moving into the kitchen. Jack sat on one of the bar stools across the kitchen island.  
'Toast, cereal, omelets or pancakes?' Ianto asked from his position at the fridge. Jack raised his eyebrows, impressed.  
'When would you find the time to stock for any of that?' He asked.  
'When I do the shopping for the Hub. I get stuff for Gwen and Tosh too, sometimes.'  
Jack feigned surprised.  
'Mr Jones, on company time?'  
Ianto turned back, resting an arm on the open fridge door.  
'Would you like breakfast, or not?' He asked. Jack smiled.  
'Pancakes, then.' He requested, and Ianto nodded, beginning to gather the ingredients and placing them on the island.

Jack noticed with mild surprise that Ianto was making the pancakes from scratch. 'Can I help?' He asked, not wanting Ianto to play the butler in his own house. Although, subservience was something they had yet to explore in the bedroom.

Ianto pushed a carton of eggs, a fork and a bowl towards him.  
'Beat three.' He instructed, then a strange expression crossed his face. Jack frowned in concern until Ianto turned to the side to sneeze.  
As he finished, Ianto groaned. 'Perfect.' He moaned, having to wash his own hands now before measuring the ingredients. Jack grinned and sniffed again, getting steadily more accustomed to the sensation. He finished beating the eggs and pushed the bowl back to Ianto.  
'Anything to drink?' Jack asked, and Ianto considered.  
'Oranges are good for colds. The juicer's in the cupboard and the oranges are in the fridge.'

Jack hopped up and collected what he needed, setting about his task across from Ianto.  
'Gwen wants you to make a list.' Ianto remembered suddenly, adding the final ingredients and beginning to stir. 'Of species you've come across. She thinks it'll help them narrow down the technology behind this, and Tosh wants to put a genetic scan on the Hub's security, too.'  
Jack sighed and sat back.  
'That's a long list.' He said, standing up and making his way around the counter to get two glasses. 'A really long list.'  
He had to squeeze past the Welshman to reach the cupboard, and Ianto started having second thoughts about letting Jack help.  
In his small kitchen, they were pushed into closer proximity than Owen would have approved of. Ianto didn't have any immediate protest, though he might if Jack's pheromones were particularly active again today.

'Well, she did say 'extensive interaction'. I guess that means anyone who might know that you can't die. Or about your immune system, at least.'  
Satisfied with the consistency of the mixture, Ianto moved the bowl over to the stove.  
'That's still a long list.' Jack replied. 'And if we're counting sex as an 'extensive interaction' then _that_ list is even _longer_…'  
'Uh huh.' Ianto said, clenching his teeth and turning away to put the milk back in the fridge. Jack noticed and smirked, licking his lips mischievously.  
'And that's just a normal year.' He continued slowly. 'In a _particularly_ good year, and we're talking at _least_ five times a-'  
His gloating was cut short by a mysterious lump of pancake mixture hitting him on the cheek.

His jaw dropped in amusement, and he scraped it off his cheek. Ianto had preoccupied himself with the stove again, so Jack crept up behind him and spread the mixture over his face.  
'Oi!' Ianto objected, pushing back against Jack. 'What was that for?'  
He grabbed a tea towel and cleaned himself off.

'Uh, hello?' Jack said, gesturing to his still stained cheek.  
'Yeah, well, you deserved that, didn't you? Great space playboy.' Ianto mocked sarcastically, but Jack seemed pleased with the nickname. He chuckled and stepped closer to Ianto again.  
'Want to hear my list?' He asked.  
'No.' Ianto said resolutely, attempting to push past Jack and return to the stove. He was unsuccessful.  
'Human.' Jack began. 'From various time periods and subraces.'  
'I said no.' Ianto repeated, trying and failing once again to get past.  
'The Hath, they can get pretty creative.'  
'Stop it.'  
'I'm _pretty _sure a Racknoss. It was dark, but it's hard to mistake all those legs.'  
'Ok, Jack.'  
'And this…well, it was kind of like a ghost at the time.'  
'Jack, seriously.'  
'A tree, once.'  
'Final warning.'  
'Time Lord, in my _dreams_-'  
And then a fistful of flour made contact with Jack's face, exploding all over his shirt and his hair. His mouth opened in a large, dangerous smile. 'Oh, big mistake, Jones, Ianto Jones.' He said, wiping the flour out of his eyes. He reached for the island and picked an egg out of the carton. Ianto's smile fell and his eyes widened.  
'What are you doing?' He asked, stepping back cautiously. Jack didn't answer, but continued his pursuit. 'Jack,' Ianto complained seriously. 'That's not fair, that's harder to clean.'

Jack toyed with the egg in his hand, still unresponsive. Ianto's retreat took them into the hallway.

'I'll put you on decaf for a week.' Ianto threatened. 'A month!'  
Jack showed no signs of hesitation, and Ianto was nearing the end of the hall.  
'No coffee at all?' He tried desperately as he bumped into the wall. Jack simply grinned wickedly and cracked the egg into Ianto's hair.

Frozen in shock at the sensation, Ianto's jaw dropped as he felt the cold liquid trickling down his neck. He exhaled slowly and glared back at Jack, who laughed and took off down the hall.

Ianto recovered enough from his surprise to pursue him, but wasn't prepared for the next egg that was thrown against his chest as he appeared in the living room.  
'Jack!' He hissed, and the immortal five year old laughed again.  
Ianto darted for the carton himself and tossed a well aimed egg at Jack's head, where it made contact and cracked against his forehead. Jack cried out and raised a hand to wipe yolk and shell from his eyes.  
While he was distracted, Ianto took the opportunity to toss another handful of flour at Jack, which was much more effective now due to the adhesive first layer. Jack looked back to the carton and found it empty, so he focused on Ianto instead.

He took a careful step towards him, and Ianto stepped back. They circled each other slowly, each man eyeing the other up as they did.  
'This is like Weevil hunting.' Ianto remarked, attempting a dodge to the side that was mirrored by Jack.  
'Then you'd better give up.' Jack replied. 'You know how good I am at that.'  
'I'm better.' Ianto said with a smile. Jack raised an eyebrow.  
'Oh, really?' He sounded disbelieving. Ianto nodded.  
'I believed I've saved you from Weevil attacks on many occasions, sir.'  
Jack sneezed again.  
'I had it under control.' He assured when he recovered.  
'Which time?'  
'Every time.'  
Ianto laughed loudly.  
'Liar.'

Jack made his move, feigning a step to the left, then running right to catch Ianto. Having seen him perform something similar on a Weevil, Ianto anticipated the movement and reacted accordingly.

As a result, they found themselves in the same position as before, but with each man on the other side of the room than before.

Without a pause, Jack ran at Ianto again, but Ianto turned to the side and tripped him up. Jack fell onto his chest on the wooden floor, grunting as he did.  
He turned onto his back and groaned, and Ianto took the chance to seat himself on Jack's stomach.  
'Give up?' He asked. Jack squirmed in an attempt to get free, and Ianto took this as his answer. 'Ok.' He said. 'I'm perfectly comfortable here.'

Jack continued to writhe, and Ianto readjusted to lean forward, pinning Jack's arms down too. Jack struggled for a little while longer, but then relaxed and groaned again. In this new position, Ianto's face was inches from his own, and getting free was suddenly far less appealing.  
'This is rather homoerotic.' He teased, and raised his head to catch Ianto in a kiss.

Ianto sat up, avoiding it.  
'Do I win?' He asked. Jack huffed.  
'Fine.' He said unhappily. Ianto leaned forward again and allowed Jack a peck, then stood.  
'I'll finish breakfast, you go shower.' He suggested. He finally returned to the stove, which by now was more than hot enough.

Hands were placed on his shoulders, stopping him once again.  
'What are you-'  
'See,' Jack began, his breath tickling Ianto's ear. His hands ran down Ianto's arms. 'I've always preferred showering with others. For water conservation, of course.' Ianto laughed, then coughed.  
'Steam _is_ good for colds.' He allowed. He heard Jack chuckle.  
'Oh, yeah, that too.'

He took Ianto's hand and started pulling him towards the shower.  
Ianto was struggling to find a reason to object when the phone rang. He snatched his hand away quickly, the distraction giving him enough time to clear his head.  
'Shower.' He ordered, and Jack sighed. He coughed again and made for the bathroom, tossing Ianto the phone as he passed it.  
'Hello?' He answered.  
'Ianto? It's Tosh. You need to bring Jack in.' Ianto sneezed.  
'Sorry. Right now?'  
'Is that a problem?' She asked, and Ianto heard Owen protesting against this in the background.  
'No.' He sighed, putting aside his annoyance at the interruption to their morning. Any free time gained from Torchwood was borrowed time, and he'd have to take the increments he could get. 'He's in the shower, though.' Ianto explained.  
'Oh, ok. Well, as soon as you can, then.' Tosh requested, and he agreed.

They ended the call and Ianto carried the pancake mixture over to the fridge, then called out for Jack.  
Apparently his voice hadn't conquered the sound of the water, because there was no response. He went to the door and knocked.  
'Jack!'  
The water stopped.  
'Decide to join me after all?' He heard.  
'They need us at the Hub.' Ianto said. 'Hurry up.'  
Jack groaned, and the water started up again, as did another bought of coughing.

Ianto went into the bedroom and observed himself in the mirror. The egg was drying in his hair and on his shirt, and there were remnants of pancake mix that he'd missed near his ear. He frowned, resolving to jump in the shower quickly when Jack was finished.

He was laying his clothes out on the bed when Jack appeared in the doorway, hair dripping and a towel wrapped carelessly around his hips. Ianto raised an eyebrow at the sight and sucked in his cheeks.  
'I'm going to take a quick shower. You can…' His voice trailed off as he took in Jack's appearance once again. Instead of speaking, he gestured vaguely to Jack's bag of clothes by the closet door.

Ianto made for the bathroom, but Jack didn't move out of the way. He kept his eyes on Ianto and pulled the towel off, shaking the excess water out of his hair. He grinned silently at Ianto, who swallowed.  
He summoned his strength and pushed past, deciding then that his shower was going to have to be a very cold one.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Comments always appreciated, hope you all had a good holiday/New Year!

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or any of the characters, they are property of the BBC and RTD

Spoilers: None

* * *

It was drizzling on the Plass. Jack pulled his coat tighter around his body, but Ianto had only the jumper he'd pulled on as they'd left, so he stood with his arms crossed, frowning and shivering and generally amusing Jack.  
'Why can't we go through the Tourist Information?' Ianto asked miserably.  
'Tosh said to take the lift.' Jack answered, shaking his damp hair.  
'Then why aren't they letting us in?'  
Jack shrugged, and Ianto huffed impatiently. 'Can't you let us down with that wristband thingy?'  
'Vortex manipulator, and, no. Tosh put some kind of deadlock on the lift.'  
'I didn't know she could do that.'  
'Neither did I. I'll have to take a look at how she did it, actually.'  
'To figure out a way around it?'  
'Exactly.'  
Jack grinned, but Ianto wasn't able to make his freezing lips mirror it. Another shiver ran through his body and he kicked the ground.  
'Do they know it's raining? Because it's decaf for all of them if they do.'  
Just as Jack began to laugh, the lift lurched, and Ianto's hand flew out in surprise. It caught hold of Jack's wrist, and the Captain smirked as they lowered below the pavement.  
'Shut up.' Ianto muttered, hurriedly pocketing his hand again. Jack began to chuckle, but was cut off by a sneeze.  
Ianto managed a small smile.

'Hello.' Gwen greeted from the Hub floor. She smiled at them as they reached her level. 'You two ok?'  
They nodded, and Jack narrowed his eyes at her appearance.  
There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair had knotted in several places on the side of her head. From experience he knew this was from her repeated tucking of it behind her ears without much care. He wondered if she'd also gotten sick, but when they reached the rest of the team, he realized that it wasn't illness making her looking so weary.  
It didn't matter if two of the team were out of commission. The Rift was going to keep spitting things out, Weevils were still going to run rampant around Cardiff and paperwork was still going to need filling out, all with only three people now.  
They weren't sick, just exhausted.

Beside him, Jack felt Ianto stiffen. He turned to him worriedly, Ianto's eyes fixed on a device in Gwen's ear.  
'What is that?' Ianto asked, standing unusually still. Gwen's hand flew to her ear.  
'Short term barrier.' Tosh answered from her station. 'Look.'  
She dipped her fingers into her glass of water and flicked the droplets towards her face. The light caught the drops as they were suspended in the air just in front of her nose, then slid downwards like raindrops on a car window. Jack cocked his head curiously. Tosh tapped her own metal earbud. 'It forms something like a semi permeable membrane around the head of the wearer. Hopefully it will keep us from catching anything, but it won't protect against stronger physical attacks, like-'  
She broke off as Owen's well timed paper ball hit the back of her head. She turned to glare at him, giving Gwen and Jack time to hide their laughter.  
'It won't last long.' She reminded Owen frostily. 'So you'd better hurry.'

'Where did you get it?' Ianto interrupted in a strained voice. The team looked at him quizzically. 'Did you get the earpieces from other technology?'  
'No, I've been working on it for a few weeks. It was meant to be an atmosphere modulator, so one could survive in other planets and atmospheres. Didn't take long to repurpose it. Why?'  
'But you definitely made it from scratch?' Ianto persisted, ignoring her question for now. 'I mean, you didn't get the ear pieces from the Archives or anything?'  
'No. Why?'  
'Because they had them at Canary Wharf.' Jack answered as he realized. 'Well, they had metallic earpieces, anyway.'  
'Oh. ' Tosh said in surprise. 'Right, of course.' She picked an unfinished one up from her desk and tossed it to him. 'Made it myself.' She assured. 'It's nothing like those, Ianto, I promise.'  
On closer inspection, Ianto noticed the difference in design and shape to the standard issue Cyber earpieces from Torchwood One. He put it back on the desk and relaxed.

Jack cleared his throat, drawing the team's attention back to him.  
'What do you need?' He asked, pushing them all past the moment. It didn't take long for Owen to catch up.  
'Well, I need you.' He said, waving Jack towards the med bay. 'And yes, we all heard the innuendo, so you can let it pass.'  
Jack had opened his mouth to comment, but a bought of coughing beat him to it.  
Owen smirked.

'What can I do?' Ianto asked, and Tosh bit her lip.  
'Well…nothing, really…' She hedged, and Ianto frowned.  
'What?'  
'Oh, just ask him.' Gwen interrupted.  
'Ask me what?'  
Tosh continued to hesitate, so Owen answered for her.  
'We're all gagging for a coffee, Ianto.' He called. 'Could you?'  
Ianto laughed.  
'Fine.' He told the hopeful faces of Gwen and Tosh, taking one last glance at Jack before heading towards the coffee machine.

The sight of the machine made him smile. His home coffee maker was far inferior to this beauty of design. Jack had bought it when he'd arrived back from his travels with the Doctor- an unofficial apology present for the team.  
Ianto stepped closer, then frowned. Something wasn't right.  
'Ok.' He shouted back down to the team. 'Who touched it?'  
There was a guilty silence. Then,  
'Gwen!'

'Owen!' Gwen protested. 'I'm sorry, Ianto.' She continued hurriedly. 'But I've seen you do it and I thought I could figure it out. Owen told me to try!'  
'Children, enough!' Came Jack's voice, followed by a series of sneezes that echoed through the Hub. Even Myfanwy looked shocked and returned to the sanctuary of her nest.

'Decaf.' Ianto thought to himself, thinking this ample punishment. Of course, if the machine was broken, there would have to be far more serious consequences. He could let it go unfixed for a few weeks and leave Gwen at the mercy of the team, and Jack. That would probably do it.  
He reached for the decaf, but then remembered the team's haggard appearance. He sighed and took up the full caffeine one instead, deciding that while he'd been at home with Jack, they'd probably earned it.

Luckily for Gwen, the machine wasn't damaged. All Ianto needed to do was readjust the handle and filter before measuring the beans.

The process of coffee making was something Ianto had always found relaxing, and today especially he was happy to let his mind go blank as he watched the machine grind up the beans. He closed his eyes and tuned out the arguing and the coughing, focusing on the sound of the liquid as it trickled into the first cup.

The calm allowed him time to realize the cold's effect on him. His head was feeling heavy and groggy, and he could sense the beginnings of a headache. His nose was blocked and his legs were starting to ache, simply from the trial of standing. A shiver ran through him and he sneezed three times in quick succession.

'That you, Ianto?' Came Owen's voice.  
'Yeah, sorry.' He called back. 'I turned away from the coffee, I promise.'  
'I'd better take a look at you too, mate.' Was the doctor's response, and Ianto sighed. He didn't like the idea of being poked and prodded by any doctor, let alone a sleep deprived Owen, but he wasn't up to resisting.

His exam yielded the expected results- it was just a normal cold, he had to drink plenty of fluids and let it pass. Jack's was worse, but not much. There wasn't much to do about it.

'Any luck on where this came from?' Jack asked, blowing his nose. Ianto hopped off the examination table and rejoined Jack on the main platform. Gwen shrugged.  
'Nothing in the Archives so far, but we'll keep looking. Did you bring the list of species you've interacted with?'  
Jack shook his head. 'No time. I can give it to you now, though.' He and Gwen went over to her computer, while Tosh continued with Ianto.

'Once I get the list I can start looking at the known technology from those species.' She said. 'Maybe we'll get lucky and be able to rule a few out. Too primitive, extinct. Until then, you'll just have to be sick.'  
'It might not be as simple as that.' Owen said from behind Ianto. He rounded him and sat on his chair, his eyes watching Jack carefully. 'Say this attack isn't on Jack's immortality, but his immune system from the future. If that's what they're targeting, we have another problem altogether.'  
'What do you mean?' Tosh asked.  
'Well, they've weakened it already. There's nothing stopping them from continually weakening it, opening Jack up to any and every disease. We might be looking at something similar to the HIV virus.'  
The Hub fell quiet, Gwen and Jack having overheard this, too. Jack returned to the group.  
'And then what would we do?' He asked seriously, crossing his arms.  
Owen shrugged.  
'There's medication, several treatments we could try. No way of knowing if they'll work, though.'  
'And if they don't?'  
Owen shrugged again, looking down.  
'I don't know. It's probably a good thing you're immortal, though.'  
Ianto's mouth ran dry.

'Will that happen to Ianto?' Jack continued.  
'Shouldn't do. His immune system should be able to fight it off while it's still a cold. And you wouldn't get HIV exactly, but the effect would be the same, so he wouldn't contract it sexually, either.'

The clinical and offhand way that Owen was talking about their sex life had the rest of the team worried. Owen had assumed his doctor persona, something he only did in very serious circumstances. They shifted uncomfortably.

'Well.' Jack started awkwardly. 'No use worrying about that until it happens. If it happens.' The team nodded, not entirely soothed. They moved quietly back to their stations, each one lost in thought. Ianto risked Owen's disapproval and took Jack's hand.  
Jack squeezed it.  
'Ok?' He asked, and Ianto nodded, even managing to smile. Jack returned it.  
'Is that all?' He directed to the team.  
'We've got the list to finish.' Gwen reminded, but then each of the earbuds lit up red.  
'Oh. Only twenty minutes until they wear off.' Tosh explained.  
'Plenty of time.' Jack said, but Tosh shook her head.  
'No, we have to disinfect the area you've been in, too.' Jack raised his arms tiredly.  
'You're kidding. C'mon, it's just a cold for you guys. Ianto's fine.'  
'I can't risk that.' Owen said. 'Besides, five of us sick aren't going to be that much more effective than three of us well.'  
Jack sighed.  
'Fine. But at least let us take some Archive files home.'  
To this Owen agreed, and Tosh handed them one of the piles on her desk.  
'Email the rest of the list.' Gwen added, and they were ushered back onto the lift.  
'I'm not overly fond of being kicked out of my base.' Jack muttered, and Ianto smiled until Jack started sneezing again.


End file.
